Before becoming a parent, you may have pictured one day sitting at a table with your family, enjoying a meal you prepared, smiling and talking about your day.
For many parents, mealtime isn’t so picturesque. Parents who have to navigate picky eaters can experience a lot of stress and not know where to start with addressing the issue. You may be tired of cooking multiple different dishes for the same meal time and you are probably concerned that your child isn’t getting the nutrition they need.
Consistency is key in establishing rules and expectations when it comes to mealtimes. Here are a few tips to help mealtime be less stressful and confrontational.
1 – Parents Decide What Food Is Offered, When It Is Offered and Where It Is Offered
In theory, this seems simple enough. Picky eaters often form out of a power struggle. When serving your child their meal, be sure to provide at least one option that you know they enjoy. When introducing new foods, place small amounts on their plate. Just a bite or two is less overwhelming than a huge portion.
2 – Children Decide What They Consume
You can decide the three things mentioned above but your child gets to decide what they put in their mouth. Force feeding your child does more harm than good. By providing multiple options of small bites, they can control what they do and don’t choose to eat. If they understand that these are the only options and meal time is when they are expected to eat, they will adapt to the new expectations.
3 – Lead By Example
You can’t expect your child to eat a wide variety of foods if you aren’t doing so yourself. When your child sees you eating new foods they may become curious. They are more likely to have a variety of food preferences if they are exposed to a variety of foods. Try to make mealtimes fun by trying new foods together or by sharing your joy for certain meals.
4 – Repetive Exposure
Odds are that your picky eater will try a new food and say they don’t like it after one bite. That’s if they are even willing to take a bite! Don’t just give up. Children need repeated exposure to a new food before being willing to try a new food. It can also take multiple times of tasting something for a child’s brain to establish that they like said food.
You should be prepared for a lot of rejected food in this process but try to focus on the long game. Sticking to bite size options will minimize waste. Try not to pressure your kid during this process because it can actually set you back further. Be patient and consistent!
5 – Celebrate Every Victory
Kids love positive reinforcement! When your child steps out of their comfort zone and tries something new, make sure they know you see their effort. Say things like:
- “You were so brave to try something that you were scared to try!”
- “Yay!! We are proud of you!”
- “Hooray!”
- “Woohoo, you did it!”
Every kid will have some foods that they just don’t eat. That’s absolutely ok and normal. The goal is to get your kid to say yes to more healthy foods than they are saying no to. Your kid’s taste buds will also evolve with age and experience. Set realistic expectations and stick to them and mealtimes should become less stressful and more enjoyable.
If you are not seeing the progress you would like, you are welcome to reach out for advice!
